Samsung Ads today announced a number of upcoming opportunities for connected TV (CTV) advertisers and a slate of new content partnerships for Samsung TV Plus in Canada.
At this year’s Canada Innovation Day in Toronto on Tuesday, the advertising arm of Samsung Electronics in Canada introduced two new tools for advertisers that are powered by AI and Samsung’s first-party TV data. Both are expected to be released later this year.
The Web Conversion tool will allow advertisers to launch and measure brand conversion directly from their CTV spend. It applies machine learning and AI models for measurable, performance-based outcomes.
Samsung Audience Collectives will sharpen audience targeting through a selection of nearly 200 consumer segments, such as Travelers and Audiobook Enthusiasts, aimed at helping brands more precisely reach their most important consumers.
Samsung Ads also said it will add new games to its GameBreaks menu – a portfolio of interactive mini-games that turn traditional ad breaks into entertainment. According to Samsung, use of GameBreaks increases brand recall by 1.5-times over standard video ads.
At the event, new programming partnerships were unveiled for Samsung TV Plus, the company’s FAST (free ad-supported TV) service on smart TVs. The roster includes exclusive content from the Jonas Brothers Living the Dream Tour, Spotify’s The Ringer FAST channel and content creators such as Mark Rober and Dhar Mann.
Samsung TV Plus has also added to its sports offering with the PGA Tour and the NASCAR Channel. Samsung TV Plus has more than 88 million global monthly active users and offers a menu of more than 200 channels.
Samsung Ads is also expanding its third-party data partnerships for audience insights and targeting, with the integration of data and analytical services company Environics Analytics.
As Canadians spend more time streaming, Samsung says FAST is becoming the new linear TV, citing new insights to support that claim.
Ad-supported streaming has experienced 15% growth when compared to ad-free streaming. Other findings include that 60% of smart TV viewers are spending more than 55% of their viewing time with streaming, and that streaming consumption in Canada has increased 10% YoY, while linear viewership decreases.
According to Samsung data, nearly 60% of the Canadian streaming audience has tuned in to FAST channels, with more than 50% of regular viewers watching FAST at least three days a week, and nearly one in three tuning in to get live local news.
